Comments on: Orpheum entrance takes you back

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:02:55 +0000

Chas..it was the drive-in at Hydralylic and McArthur that is still there today.

We went to the Orpheum Saturday night to see “American English”..it was a great show and the theatre is looking better than ever. What a great restoration they’re doing!

By: Econ101

Econ101 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 17:46:05 +0000

You used to be able to park outside the fence, at a drive in, and pick up the volume, for whatever movie was playing, on your car radio, if you played with the dial a little bit.

The reception wasnt great, but, well, the thrill was in doing it.

By: gmc70

gmc70 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 16:58:13 +0000

I remember also the Palace, Civic, Tower, 54 DI, 81 DI……..

By: Len

Len — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 07:12:57 +0000

Jed, thanks.

Growing up on the west side, we did not get down in the Harry and Broadway area much.

The Civic Theatre was the old stomping grounds. Dime for admission and popcorn and a nickel for a Coke.

For $.50, our folks were able to get rid of my brother and I for a Saturday evening.

By: Jed

Jed — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 06:37:48 +0000

Len,The other theater on E. Harry was the Sunset at Harry and Lulu.

By: gmc70

gmc70 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:37:58 +0000

The Wonderland was at the Ackerman Island amusement park.

By: Jed

Jed — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 05:28:42 +0000

I remember the old Vogue Art (now the Marple) where I saw some of the best movies around. The features were what now would be considered fairly innocent skin flicks, but to keep their status as an “Art House” they showed almost every movie Ingmar Bergman made, a bunch of really good French murder mysteries, Fellini etc. It was a broken-down theater by that time, but the only place in town to see good foreign films.

By: Len

Len — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:55:50 +0000

You are not the only one that is old.

Besides the Southern, wasn’t there another theater down in that area, on Harry Street, or thereabouts?

By: gmc70

gmc70 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:46:06 +0000

how about the Southern at Topeka and Harry

By: Len

Len — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:43:00 +0000

GMC 70, you just beat me with the post about Crawford Theatre.

By: Len

Len — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:38:58 +0000

A friend’s wife remembers the Crawford Theater being just south of downtown, on Topeka Street. It evidently was a stop on the vaudeville circuit, back when that type of entertainment was flourishing.

By: gmc70

gmc70 — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 03:35:19 +0000

The Crawford was on Topeka near Williams.I also remember The Uptown,Sunset,Victory and Wonderland….yes I is old :-)

By: Len

Len — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 02:58:22 +0000

One other theater that has not been mentioned is the Palace Theater, which was across the street (south side of Douglas) from the Wichita Theatre. Both were in the 100 block of East Douglas.

When I was a kid and would go to the Orpheum Theatre, it seemed like I was entering an enchanted place. There was something different about it!

By: Kev

Kev — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 00:02:29 +0000

“”"I also remember the old ‘Wichita” Theater on Douglas… that was the one Mother always said showed those “dirty, nasty movies” and had all of those nasty old men hovering around it!! LOL Mother would have been 98 yesterday…”"”Everything on Douglas was nasty. That place, Hotel Eaton and all the drunks you had to stumble over in front of Okies bar. Glad to see they have cleaned that up. The one building I was hoping Wichita would restore was Hotel Allis. So much great history in that old place.

By: Kansas

Kansas — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:59:56 +0000

The Crest Theater building was up for a long time late 90s I think.

Another Theater was the Miller Theater on N. Broadway.

By: Kev

Kev — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:59:24 +0000

“”"I miss the old Crest Theatre. The Crest and the Uptown were where went. Both within walking distance for us College Hill kids.

I am glad that the Uptown was saved.

I used to have an office in the Orpheum Building. It has been nice to watch the progress.”"”

I forgot about the wonderful Uptown Theatre. We used to go there too. They had the 50 cent movies there! I really liked all the stars on the ceiling.

By: Chas.

Chas. — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:50:21 +0000

Hey Mary — Would that have been the Twin, Meadowlark, or the K-42 that you listened to from your front yard??

By: Chas.

Chas. — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:42:48 +0000

Ok Len… the Civic rings a bell for me as well… I vaguely remember that one…

By: Mary Caruso

Mary Caruso — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:16:13 +0000

I remember spending summer nights as a kid watching the drive-in movies from the front yard…we could even hear it if the wind was blowing in the right direction..no “R” rated movies playing at the drive-in back then!Everything was a double feature back then, too.When I went to see “A Hard Day’s Night” at the Orpheum for the fist time, we had to sit through an Elvis movie first!

By: Len

Len — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 23:06:56 +0000

How about the Civic, on West Douglas (two blocks west of Sycamore)? A bank now occupies the ground where the Civic Theatre was located.

By: Chas.

Chas. — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:18:17 +0000

Where was the Crawford, GMC?? I dont remember that one… not by that name, at least…

By: Chas.

Chas. — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 22:17:30 +0000

Yep thats the one Econ!! Sinbad!!

By: gmc70

gmc70 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 21:44:26 +0000

I also remember the Crawford. Sad the Miller was torn down to add to the great downtowngosttown!

By: Econ101

Econ101 — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:57:42 +0000

SIMBAD!

LOL

By: Chas.

Chas. — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 18:45:52 +0000

Hey, thanks for the reminders on the Crest and Uptown… I think I saw my first Greek mythology movie at the Crest, when I was about 9… the story of the guy and the golden fleece… all of the many headed monsters, etc.

I also remember the old ‘Wichita” Theater on Douglas… that was the one Mother always said showed those “dirty, nasty movies” and had all of those nasty old men hovering around it!! LOL Mother would have been 98 yesterday…